Starting-crank.



W. VALLEE.

STARTING GRANIL APPLICATION FILED DHU. 15, 1911.

1,104,851 Patented July 28,1914,

] m -MwL/am@ "HE NORRIS PETES (`0,. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTDN. D.

WILFRED VALLIER, 0F PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

STARTING-CRANK incassi.

Speceaton of Letters Ilatent.

Application filed December 15, 1911.

Patented July as, 191,4.. serial No. 665,940.

T0 all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VILFRED VALLEE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pontiac, in the county of Oakland and` State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting-Cranks, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to starting cranks for explosion engines and has among the objects thereof to provide a construction of crank which will automatically and practically instantaneously uncouple from the engine shaft in case of back firing, to provide such a type of crank that may be readily adapted for use with engines of various sizes, and further to produce a construction which may be easily and cheaply manufactured and which is reliable and elicient.

Other objects of my invention will morel fully hereinafter appear. y 1

The invention resides in the peculiar construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims;

In the drawings,`-Figure 1 is a vertical central section through a crank embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a `horizontal section therethrough; Fig` 3 is a section on line -m Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sideelevation.

A represents the engine shaft and B the shaft of the starting crank, the shaft portion C of which is j ournaled as is usual in a spring-pressed bearing D; The shaft portion C is formed of a tubular member with? to the head by means 0f a lock screw K.

L and M are complementary dogs arranged upon opposite sides of the member C and journaled on a stub shaft N carried thereby. This stub shaft is preferably in the form, of a bolt extending transversely of the member C adjacent its inner end and is held against rotation in relation to the same, as by means of a key O.

The complementary dogs are normally maintained in a horizontal position by meansy of light tension springs P which yieldably press the rear ends of the dogs againststops Q, Q, each of the springs having their opposite ends anchored respec-"` tively to the stub shaftand the dog. f By this arrangementthe members L and M are.

held against movement: in lone direction by the stopsbut may be rocked` in the opposite direction against the tension of the springs P. The stops however are so arranged as to permit the member L to rockin a direction kopposite from the movement of the member M. In the horizontal position of the complementary dogs the pin I is yieldably held in engagement withsegmental bearings R and S, formedvin' theinner ends of the dogs L and M,*by a coil spring T- which surrounds the shank G and has itsy V represents the handle kfor the. crankshaftfwhichis flXedly secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by a key W. yand ylEI designates a button orknob uponthe end f of the shank G which is yextended without f the bearing H. v

With the parts so far described, `when it is desired to start theengine vtheoperator pushes the starting crank inward until the'y outer ends of the complementary dogs engage the clutch teeth on the end of the engine shaft and then rotates the crank in a directionto effect a forward rotation of the f engine shaft,l thetension of thespring T be- 1 ing sufficient r.to hold `the pin kI in engagement with the bearings R and S and prel vent rocking of the dogs during this operation. If the-engine properly starts the cam faces X of the clutch teeth U will act upon the cam portions Z on the ends of the dogs to `force the crank rearward and uncouple .the crank from the engineshaft as is usual.

vHowever, in case the engine backy yfires the .sudden impact upon the outer endsof the' dogs will 4rock the latter, moving the inner ends of the dogs out of .engagement withl the pin Iagainstl the tension of the spring T. After the bearin sR Aand are niojtfedhout of engagement wlth the pin the member E CII - tion. But although the crank illustrated is is pressed inward by the spring T, positioniiig the pin I in the path of the inner ends of the dogs as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, which prevents the return of the dogs to their horizontal position. The tripping of the dogs and the locking of the same in their inoperative position is practically instantaneous upon back firing and occurs without even the slightest backward rotation of' the crank shaft.

To return the parts to their normal relation the member E is pulled outward through the medium of the knob H against the tension of the spring T a sufficient distance to move the pin I out of the path of the inner ends of thel dogs, permitting the latter to be moved to their horizontal position by the springs I).

As the pressure required for retaining the pin I in engagement with the segmental. bearings during cranking vvill necessarily. vary with the size of the engine the bearing member H has an adjustable screwthreaded engagement with the tubular shaft, which permits the tension of the spring T to be regulated. I also provide means for retaining the member H in its various positions of adjustment preferably in the forni of a spring-pressed detent A on the member H which detachably engages longitudinal grooves B in the threads on the tubular shaft. "When the detent is positioned within one of the grooves B the member H is locked. against movement from normal strains but may be adjusted by applying sufficient force to move the detent out'of the roove against the tension of its saring.

The construction shown and described is one that can be cheaply manufactured, is simple, efhcient and positive in its operathe preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to limit my protection to the speciic structure shown in the drawings. What I claim as my invention is,-

l.k The combination with the shaft of an explosion engine, of a crank shaft, 1and -means for rotatably coupling said shafts togcther upon a forward rotation of the crank shaft adapted to automatically and practically instantaneously uncouple said shafts `upon a backward rotation of the engine shaft comprising a rockable dog carried by -the crank shaft having one end positioned in operative relation to the engine shaft and provided with a bearing at its opposite end anda spring-pressed member having a bearing for engaging said first-mentioned bearing in the normal relation `of the parts, said spring pressed member acting automatically to retain the dog in an inoperative position upon the uncoupling of the shafts.

2. The combination with the shaft of an explosion engine, of a tubular crank shaft,

a stub shaft carried by the tubular shaft, a dog journaled on said stub shaft and having one end positioned to engage the engine shaft, a spring-pressed member slidably engaging the tubular shaft, and a detachable gaging the vtubular shaft, a detachable pinaiid-socket engagement between the springpressed member and said dog, a stop, and means for yieldably hold-ing the dog against said stop.

4. The combination with the shaft of an explosion engine, of a tubular crank shaft, a stub shaft carried by said tubular shaft, complementary dogs journaled upoii said stub shaft, each having one end positioned to engage the engine shaft and provided with a segmental bearing at the opposite end, a 'spring-pressed member slidably arranged within the tubular shaft, and a pin carried by said slidable member normally engaging said segmental bearings.

5. The combination with the shaft of an explosion engine, .of a tubular crank shaft, a stub shaft carried by said tubular shaft, complementary dogs journaled upon said stub shaft, each having one end positioned to engage the engine shaft and `provided with a segmental bearing at the opposite end, a member slidably arranged within the tubular shaft, a pin carried by said slidable member normally engaging said seg-` mental bearings, a spring having one end bearing against said member, and an adjustable abutment for the opposite end of said spring.

6. The combination with the shaft of an explosion engine, of a tubular crank shaft, a stub shaft carried by said tubular shaft,

complementary dogs journaled upon said stub shaft, each having one end positioned to engage the engine shaft and provided with a segmental bearing at the opposite end, a member slidably arranged within thc tubular shaft, a pin ca-rried by said slidable. member normally engaging said segmental bearings, a spring having one end bearing against said member, an adjustable abutwith a segmental bearing at the opposite engagement, the shank projecting beyond 10 end, a head slidably arranged Within the said bearing, and a knob in said projection. tubular shaft havncr a sha-nk portion, a pin In testimony whereof I aHX my signature oared by said head and normsltlly engalgl'lng in presence of two Witnesses.

sai segmental bearings, a coi spring aving one end bearing against said head, SL` WILFRED VALLIER bearing member forming an abutment for Witnesses: the opposite end of the spring and With W. J. BELKNAP, which said shank has a longitudinal sliding JAMES P. BARRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

